I’ve seen a lot of really funny things already this Fringe, but nothing has made me laugh quite as much as Sh!t Faced Shakespeare. Sh!t Faced Shakespeare is a ridiculous concept where a company of classically trained actors perform an abridged version of a Shakespeare play, in this case Romeo and Juliet, with a twist – one of the actors is “shit-faced”.
The show starts with a brief explanation of the concept and the safety rules, basically that the actor will never be at risk. A different actor gets drunk every show, and they’re only required to get drunk (for the show at least) four times a month, and never on consecutive nights. The audience are involved at this point of the show too, with a variety of objects that are used throughout the show being handed out to people in the front row. There is then a dramatic reveal of how much the actor drank over four hours in preparation for the show. In the show I saw, the actor had had two beers and half a litre of vodka, which doesn’t look a lot after a dramatic reveal and drum roll, but we soon saw just how much it was. And if you’re concerned that the actor may sober up too much throughout the show, fear not, alcohol is provided throughout.
We’re never told who the drunk actor is, but it’s obvious from the moment he walks on stage that our drunk this evening was Romeo himself. Despite his drunken state, disregard to sticking to the script, and occasional anger at Shakespeare, Adam Goodbody managed to still embody something of a sense of Romeo and his laddish behaviour.
Because of this diversion from the script, the skill of the cast in working together and improvising is really emphasised. Their ability to think quickly and adapt to whatever Romeo does is really impressive. And it isn’t just Romeo who sometimes goes off script- some of the other actors got confused at several points throughout the show. This creates some hilarious moments.
I was impressed and surprised by how cohesive the show managed to stay, despite how hilarious and chaotic it was. This is probably the least and most Shakespearean thing you will ever see. With twists and laughs in every scene, Sh!t Faced Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a must see this Fringe.
Sh!t Faced Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet is at Pleasance at EICC at 10pm until 26 August (not 21) and at 8pm on the 27th August. Tickets are available here.
Image provided to The Student as press material.